Nigeria’s Vice President says Govt spent $183m in school feeding programme

Abuja – Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, says that over $183 million has been invested so far in the National School Feeding Programme in Nigeria . Osinbajo made the disclosure in Tunis, Tunisia, in a keynote address at the closing ceremony of the 20th Annual Global Child Nutrition Forum held at Four Seasons Hotel in Tunis.
He said that over nine million primary pupils are benefiting in 26 states already. The vice president said that the programme has been, by all accounts, a remarkable success. He said that by the end of 2018, with more states in the country joining the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme, it was set to become the largest school-feeding programme in Africa. Osinbajo told the 353 delegates and experts from nine countries that the programme is strategic to human capital development.

The delegates include experts in the nutrition industry, United Nations officials from World Food Programme, Global Child Nutrition Fund, the World Bank and stakeholders that “Nigeria took the decision to embark on a school feeding programme as an important part of our human capital development agenda. “By tackling the broader issues of eradication of poverty, food and nutrition security, and increasing school enrollment. It is becoming clearer that the 21st century will be defined by knowledge and skills. “The nations that are best able to present the most knowledgeable and most skillful citizens will prevail in commerce, in science and technology and of course, will enjoy the greatest prosperity and the longevity to enjoy the prosperity.

“ Nations that do not invest enough to produce the required level of talent and skills will be left behind; a farther distance than ever before in the history of mankind. “By 2035, Africa will have 1.2billion people. Over 50 per cent of that number will be young persons under the age of 25. Today, 60 per cent of the unemployed in Africa are young people.” Osinbajo said at a cost of 0.19 dollars per child per day, a balanced meal was provided for every one of the children as 9,300,892 million pupils in 49,837 public primary schools in 26 states across Nigeria benefited daily.

Source: Vanguard Newspaper

On the Girl Child

By Anthony Ororho

(With additional report from the United Nations)

“On this International Day of the Girl, let us recommit to supporting every girl to develop her skills, enter the workforce on equal terms and reach her full potential.” — UN Secretary-General António Guterres

The above statement from the United Nations Secretary General, shows that the girl child from any of the member nations of the UN, Shall be entitled to education-it is her birth right!

It becomes mandatory that any member nation who fails to send a girl child to school, is liable to some form of disciplinary measure by the global body.

In line with the aforementioned, the “Education Law” of the Lagos State Government of Nigeria, Cap 40(6,7) states that “Any person shall be deemed to be of Primary school age, if at the commencement of any school year, he (she) has attained the age of six years…secondary school age in relation to any person, means any age attained by the person on the commencement of the school year after he attains the age of 12 years and the age attained by the person at the end of the same year after s/e attains the age of 18 years”

To this end, every girl born in Nigeria, ought to get an education up to the age of 18 before she can be seen to be old enough to decide for herself based on the age of maturity.

We at Afro-Global Education Deliveries therefore call on the Federal Minister of Education and all States Commissioners of Education, to enforce this law in Nigeria, to the protection and benefit of the girl child in Nigeria.

Since the Year 2012, October 11 has been marked as the International Day of the Girl. The day aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.

The theme for 2018 is “With Her: A Skilled GirlForce.”

This is aimed at preparing the girl to enter into a world of work that is being transformed by innovation and automation. Educated and skilled workers are in great demand, but roughly a quarter of young people – most of them female – are currently neither employed nor educated.

Out of the one billion young people – including 600 million adolescent girls – that will enter the workforce in the next decade, more than 90% of those living in developing countries will work in the informal sector, where low or no pay, abuse and exploitation are common.

Today, we are working alongside all girls to expand existing learning opportunities, chart new pathways and calling on the global community to rethink how to prepare them for a successful transition into the world of work.

Under the theme, With Her: A Skilled GirlForce, International Day of the Girl will mark the beginning of a year-long effort to bring together partners and stakeholders to advocate for, and draw attention and investments to, the most pressing needs and opportunities for girls to attain skills for employability.

 

 

The Importance of Time

Time is one of the most important things in life, work, leisure and in planning.
So how important is your time?

Time is one of the most important things in life, work, leisure and in planning.
So how important is your time?

Do you do the right thing at the right time?
Time could make or Mar your success in life.
For example, as a school head, have you made the necessary moves to forestall the emergence of problems in your school? Or are you waiting for a fire to start before you call the fire service to put out the fire? If you adopt that approach, there will be casualties.

Again, do you read the mood of the school staff? Or you just want the job done?
An efficient school head wants to feel the pulse of his staff, in order the maintain the corporate culture of the school. Doing this at the right time, would ensure that things are done by arrangement and according to plan.

When last did you as school head embark on an inspection of the school environment? Have been to the hostels to see the condition of the facilities there? Are the beds conducive for the students? What about the laboratories? Are they safe to work in?

Many a time, a gas cylinder is faulty. Sometimes it is the school bus that is faulty and when the bus driver tells you that the fault has to be repaid, do you ask him to manage it? Would you manage your family’s life that way, if it were your personal car?

Agreed, there could be shortage of cash at the moment but, a prepared school head should have options.